Tens of thousands of Greeks have left the country over the past decade in search of better career prospects. Now the Greek government has launched an incentive programme designed to encourage qualified young workers to return home.
Tens of thousands of Greeks have left the country over the past decade in search of better career prospects. Now the Greek government has launched an incentive programme designed to encourage qualified young workers to return home.
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The programme "Rebrain Greece" is run by the Ministry of Labour. For highly-qualified returnees, the government will pay 70% of salaries of up to 3000 euros per month. The subsidy will last for one year.
"It is not about golden boys," Greek Labour Minister Giannis Vroutsis told Euronews. “It is about young Greeks with a high level of studies that went abroad to find a better future. We want them back, to build this better future here in Greece; to bring their knowledge and experience to Greek companies."
Konstantinos Agrapidas, the head of Greece’s Labour Relations General Directorate, said the country was suffering because of the loss of its skilled workers.
"Greece has paid a high price because of the brain drain,” he said. “Greek families and the Greek state have invested in these young people. Now Greece ranks 26th out of the EU's 28 in digital integration skills."
Watch Symela Touchtidou’s report in the video player above